Marking utensil

ABSTRACT

A barrel has a front end provided with marking means such as a nib of a pen or an analogous means. Connected to the rear end of the barrel is a pair of carrier arms which may separately pivot about an axis normal to the elongation of the barrel between an inoperative position in which they both extend lengthwise of the barrel in parallelism with one another and an operative position in which they both extend transversely to the elongation of the barrel. A stamp is provided on one of the arms and an ink pad is provided on the other of the arms on such surfaces of the arms that the stamp will contact the ink pad when the arms are in their inoperative position. A friction cap removably surrounds the arms when the latter are in inoperative position.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Herbert Rigoni Am sommerberg 171, 7731 Fischbach, Germany [21] Appl. No. 52,19

[22] Filed July 6, 1970 [45] Patented Nov. 9, 1971 [32] Priority July 7, 1970 [33] Germany [54] MARKING UTENSIL 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[51] Int. Cl B4lk 1/42, 843k 29/00 [50] Field of Search 401/52 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 317,853 5/1885 Richford 101/333 Primary Examiner- Lawrence Charles Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: A barrel has a front end provided with marking means such as a nib of a pen or an analogous means. Connected to the rear end of the barrel is a pair of carrier arms which may separately pivot about an axis normal to the elongation of the barrel between an inoperative position in which they both extend lengthwise of the barrel in parallelism with one another and an operative position in which they both extend transversely to the elongation of the barrel. A stamp is provided on one of the arms and an ink pad is provided on the other of the arms on such surfaces of the arms that the stamp will contact the ink pad when the arms are in their inoperative position. A friction cap removably surrounds the arms when the latter are in inoperative position.

MARKING UTENSIL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to marking utensils, and more particularly to marking utensils which combine marking means for making indicia of desired type and size and stamp means for producing stamped markings of predetermined character.

Such utensils are by no means new. They come, in fact, in a variety of constructions wherein a stampwith or without an ink padis provided in combination with a fountain pen, a ball pen, a mechanical pencil or the like. Conventionally the utensils do have not only a stamp but also an ink pad for inking the stamp. It is not contended that they do not properly operate, but all of the constructions known from the prior art have the disadvantage that they must be relatively bulky in size, particularly in order to be able to accommodate in their interior both the stamp and the ink pad therefor. Aside from the resulting somewhat inelegant appearance of these utensils there is the more serious disadvantage that their necessary size, particularly their relatively significant circumferential dimension, makes them difficult if not entirely impossible to hold and to use by persons having small hands, for instance feminine users, children or even men whose hands are small. The problem cannot simply be obviated by making the stamp and the ink pad therefor smaller because there is a certain minimum dimension below which the configuration of the stamp-and consequently that of the ink pad-must not fall if the marking which is to be provided with the stamp will be readily legible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved marking utensil of the type here under discussion which is not possessed of these disadvantages.

Still more specifically it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved marking utensil of the type in question which, by virtue of the novel manner in which its stamp and ink pad therefor are mounted, can have much less bulky exterior dimensions, particularly circumferential dimensions, than what is known from the prior art.

An additional object of the invention is to provide such a marking utensil which is to be simple in its construction and therefore inexpensive to manufacture and to sell.

In pursuance of the above objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides in a marking utensil of the type under discussion which, according to one embodiment, briefly stated comprises an elongated body portion having a front end and a rear end and marking means provided at the front end for applying markings of desired type and size to a surface. A pair of carrier arms is mounted on the rear end for separate pivotal movement about axes normal to the elongation of the body portion between an inoperative portion in which they both extend lengthwise of the body portion in parallelism with one another, and an operative position in which they both extend transversely to the elongation of the body portion. An indicia carrier and an ink pad are respectively provided on surfaces of these arms which are juxtaposed with one another when the arms are in inoperative position, and a cap removably surrounds the arms when the latter are in their aforementioned inoperative position.

With a construction such as the one just discussed with respect to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the indicia meansnamely the stampcan be relatively large in its overall dimensions because in the interior of the removable cap it can have a length which is almost equal to the length of the cap. Assuming that the marking means in the body portion or barrel of the utensil is made short enough, and this is not difficult, then the cap may have a length corresponding to approximately half the overall length of the complete utensil,

and accordingly the length of the stamp may approach this dimension, namely half the overall length of the utensil.

Of course, a further advantage of the construction according to the present invention resides in the fact that the use of the stamp itself is most simple because it is only necessary to withdraw the capwhich is preferably but not necessarily of the friction typewhereupon the stamp is pivoted to a posi-v tion extending transversely to the elongation of the body portion, and the same is done for the stamp or ink pad. Subsequently, the two arms carrying the stamp and the ink pad, respectively, are pivoted again to their inoperative position in which they extend in parallelism with one another and the cap is pushed back over them. Advantageously the construction is such that in their inoperative position the stamp will abut against the ink pad so that the stamp is always inked and ready for use.

The construction according to the present invention not only is simple and uncomplicated to manufacture and to use, but also it makes it possible to provide a utensil of the type under discussion which is much slimmer than heretofore thought conceivable and which is not only easier to handle but also more attractive in its appearance and simpler and less bulky to carry about, for instance in the pocket of a shirt or suit.

According to an advantageous but not limiting embodiment of the invention the outer surfaces of the arms, that is those surfaces which face away from one another when the arms are in inoperative position, are rounded so that these surfaces together in effect define or surround a cylinder. The cap will then have a complementary free interior cross-sectional configuration and is advantageously of the friction type which frictionally contacts these outer surfaces. It can in turn be flush with its outer surface with the rear end of the body portion and it is then impossible to tell from the exterior appearance of the utensil that the cap houses a relatively large stamp and ink pad therefor. Also, the relatively large surface area obtained by configurating the surfaces in the aforementioned manner, provides for large surface-to-surface contact with the interior of the cap and therefore for good frictional retention of the cap on the arms. This precludes accidental or undesired separation of the cap from the arms which could in turn lead to undesired pivoting of the arms to their operative position and soiling of a garment or the like by the ink. It is possible to provide the cap at its exterior with a clip of the type well known in such marking utensils, by means of which the utensil may be clipped to a shirt pocket, a suit pocket or any other desired support.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side view of a utensil according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. I but illustrating the cap of the utensil in section to show the components located in its interror;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 but with the cap removed and the arms displaced to operative position;

FIG. 4 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line IV IV of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a similarly enlarged section taken on line VV of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing in detail it will be seen that the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, on hand of which the invention is to he described, is in form of a marking utensil having a body portion 10 a front end of which is provided with marking means 12, and a cap 14 with securing clip 16 which is connected with the rear end of the body portion. The marking means 12 is not identified in detail because it could be the nib of a pen, it could be the lead of a mechanical pencil, it could be the tip of a ball point pen or the like. The body portion 10 accommodates whatever mechanism is necessary for and associated with the marking means 12, and no details are shown because this can be any conventional fountain pen mechanism, mechanical pencil mechanism, ball point mechanism or the like.

What is of importance for an understanding of the present invention is the fact that connected with the rear end portion of the body portion 10 is a holding or mounting member 18 to which there are pivotally secured two carrier arms 20 and 22. The mounting member 18 is provided with a groove 28 extending transversely to the elongation of the body portion 10 (compare FIGS. 4 and so that it has two lateral bars 30 and 32. These are each provided with two bores or apertures into which pins, bolts or analogous shaft members 34 and 36 are inserted, as by being press fitted, so that they extend in parallelism with one another as shown in the drawing. In the illustrated embodiment the carrier arms 20 and 22 have at least lower end portions which are of substantially U-shaped cross section so as to have two arms 38 or 40. Of course, each carrier arm 20 and 22 may be of U-shaped cross section in its entirety. The arms or flanges 38 and 40 are provided with aligned openings through which the pins 34 and 36 extend whereby the carrier arms 20 and 22 are pivotably mounted for displacement between an inoperative position in which they extend in parallelism with one another lengthwise of the elongation of the body portion 10, as shown in FIG. 2, and an operative position in which they are pivoted to an orientation where they extend transversely of the elongation of the body portion 10, as shown in FIG. 3. It is advantageous that each of the pins 34 and 36 be surrounded intermediate the respective ly associated arms 38 or 40 with at least one helical expansion spring 42 or 44 (see FIG. 5) the opposite ends of which bear upon the two arms 38 or 40, respectively, to thereby provide increased frictional resistance to displacement of the carrier arms 20 and 22 between their operative and inoperative positions. This is done to require positive pressure on the part of the user to effect such displacement.

The mounting member 18 itself is rigidly connected with the rear end portion of the body portion in any suitable manner which is of no importance for the purposes of the present invention. The outwardly directed surfaces a and 22a of the arms 20 and 22, respectively, that is those surfaces which face away from one another when the arms 20 and 22 are in their inoperative positions shown in FIG. 2, are of part-circular outline so as together resemble a cylinder. The cap 14, which is here a friction cap, is of complementary internal free cross sectional configuration and is simply pushed over the arms 20 and 22 when the latter are in the position illustrated in FIG. 2, whereby it is retained on the arms 20 and 22 by friction between the surfaces 20a and 22a on the one hand and the inner circumferential surface of the cap 14 on the other hand. To remove the cap 14 it is simply necessary to exert requisite pull on it in the direction away from the marking means 12.

One of the arms, in the illustrated embodiment the arm 20, is provided on its inner surface-that is the one which faces the other arm 22 when the arms are in the position illustrated in FIG. 2-with a stamp 24 of any desired type, usually a rubber base on which words or other indicia are provided in raised configuration, and the other arm-here the arm 22-is provided on its similar inner surface with an ink pad 26. This is shown in FIG. 4 and it will also be evident from this that the stamp 24 and the ink pad 26 may be of entirely conventional construction except for the fact that with the utensil according to the present invention they may have larger dimensions than what is known in the prior art. To use the stamp the cap 14 is withdrawn and the arms 20 and 22 are pivoted to the position shown in FIG. 3 whereupon the stamp can then be pressed onto a surface on which an imprint is to made. When use of the stamp is not desired any more the arms 20 and 22 are pivoted to the position shown in FIG. 2 in which the stamp 24 contacts the ink pad 26 so as to be constantly inked and ready for use, and the cap 14 is pushed back onto the arms 20 and 22 to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The construction illustrated by way of example is particularly simple and advantageous, particularly the way in which the arms 20 and 22 are mounted on the support or mounting member 18. However, it will be understood that other ways of mounting the arms 20 and 22 for pivotal displacement between their operative and inoperative positions can be incorporated in the construction according to the invention without departing from the scope and intent of the invention.

By resorting to my invention it is possible to obtain a marking utensil of the type under discussion which is not only simple and highly reliable in its operation, but also can be relatively slim in its outline and is therefore easy to handle for persons having small hands as well as being attractive in its overall appearance. Its manufacture and use are most simple and the utensil according to the present invention clearly provides definite advantages over what is known from the art.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a marking utensil, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can be applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

l. A marking utensil of the character disclosed, comprising an elongated body portion having a front end and a rear end; marking means at said front end for applying markings of desired type and size to a surface; a pair of carrier arms mounted on said rear end for separate pivotal movement about an axis normal to the elongation of said body portion between an inoperative position in which they both extend lengthwise of said body portion in parallelism with one another, and an operative position in which they both extend transversely to the elongation of said body portion; an indicia carrier and an ink pad respectively provided on surfaces of said arms which are juxtaposed when said arms are in said inoperative position; and a cap removably surrounding said arms when the latter are in said inoperative position.

2. A marking utensil as defined in claim 1, said cap being a friction cap.

3. A marking utensil as defined in claim 1, wherein said indicia carrier abuts said ink pad when said arms are in said inoperative position.

4. A marking utensil as defined in claim 1, said arms having respective outwardly directed surfaces which together resemble a cylinder when said arms are in said inoperative position; and wherein said cap is a friction cap and has an inner free cross section complementary to such cylinder.

5. A marking utensil as defined in claim 1; further comprising clip means provided on said cap exteriorly of the same for clipping said utensil to a garment or the like.

6. A marking utensil as defined in claim 1; further comprising mounting means connected with said rear end of said body portion and mounting said arms for said pivotal movement.

7. A marking utensil as defined in claim 6, said arms having end portions proximal to said rear end and each provided with at least one transverse aperture and said mounting means comprising a mounting member having a groove facing away from said front end and extending transversely to the elongation of said body portion, and a pair of pins secured in said mounting member and each traversing said groove and extending through said transverse aperture of one of said end portions.

8. A marking utensil as defined in claim 7; further comprising resisting means for resisting free pivoting of said arms between said positions with a predetermined maximum force.

t I t i t UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,618,518

DATED November 9, 1971 INVENTOR(S) Herbert Rigoni It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below: on the title p g [32] The priority date should read June 12 1970 Signed and Scaled this Twenty-eighth D a y of June I 983 smu Arrest.-

GERALD J MOSSINGHOFF Arresting Officer Commission! of Pamm and Trademarks 

1. A marking utensil of the character disclosed, comprising an elongated body portion having a front end and a rear end; marking means at said front end for applying markings of desired type and size to a surface; a pair of carrier arms mounted on said rear end for separate pivotal movement about an axis normal to the elongation of said body portion between an inoperative position in which they both extend lengthwise of said body portion in parallelism with one another, and an operative position in which they both extend transversely to the elongation of said body portion; an indicia carrier and an ink pad respectively provided on surfaces of said arms which are juxtaposed when said arms are in said inoperative position; and a cap removably surrounding said arms when the latter are in said inoperative position.
 2. A marking utensil as defined in claim 1, said cap being a friction cap.
 3. A marking utensil as defined in claim 1, wherein said indicia carrier abuts said ink pad when said arms are in said inoperative position.
 4. A marking utensil as defined in claim 1, said arms having respective outwardly directed surfaces which together resemble a cylinder when said arms are in said inoperative position; and wherein said cap is a friction cap and has an inner free cross section complementary to such cylinder.
 5. A marking utensil as defined in claim 1; further comprising clip means provided on said cap exteriorly of the same for clipping said utensil to a garment or the like.
 6. A marking utensil as defined in claim 1; further comprising mounting means connected with said rear end of said body portion and mounting said arms for said pivotal movement.
 7. A marking utensil as defined in claim 6, said arms having end portions proximal to said rear end and each provided with at least one transverse aperture and said mounting means comprising a mounting member having a groove facing away from said front end and extending transversely to the elongation of said body portion, and a pair of pins secured in said mounting member and each traversing said groove and extending through said transverse aperture of one of said end portions.
 8. A marking utensil as defined in claim 7; further comprising resisting means for resisting free pivoting of said arms between said positions with a predetermined maximum force.
 9. A marking utensil as defined in claim 8, at least said end portions of said arms being of substantially U-shaped cross section and each having two transversely spaced flanges provided with registering transverse apertures, and each of said pins extending through the respective registering apertures.
 10. A marking utensil as defined in claim 9, said resisting means comprising a pair of helical expansion springs each surrounding one of said pins intermediate the respective flanges of one of said arms and having opposite ends bearing upon said flanges. 